The Tiger and the Dragon: Dark Hadou
by Snafu the Great
Summary: Someone is having problems with the Dark Hadou...and it's not Ryu.
1. Symptoms

The Tiger and the Dragon: Dark Hadou  
A Street Fighter Fanfiction  
By The Headcrook  
  
Legal BS Disclaimer: All Characters are the property of Capcom, etc. We all know about our favorite Japanese fighter with the dark power, but what if Chun Li had the same as well. Send all comments anf flames to head_crook@lycos.com  
  
Chapter One  
-Shotokan School of Karate/Hoshi Residence...shortly after the honeymoon-  
  
It had happened shortly after they had returned from their honeymoon. Ryu had hoped that after he had gone through it, that his wife had not.  
  
But it was. Right now, he was watching her sleep from his chair, her chest rising and falling with every breath she took. She was also pale.  
  
'It's not possible,' Ryu thought. 'She can't have the Dark Hadou...'  
***  
-Four hours earlier...-  
  
The Japanese martial artist and his Chinese wife are sparring in the dojo. It was something that they usually did three times a week fot two reasons: One to keep in shape, and two, because they both enjoyed the fight. That was one of the main things that they had in common. Ryu was dressed in his trademark whire karate gi, while Chun Li was clad in her one-piece jumpsuit, her long hair tied in a ponytail.  
  
Right now, Chun Li was attacking and Ryu was simply defending and fending off her punches and kicks with general ease.  
  
That was starting to irritate Chun Li, so she changed her tacticts. There was this new technique that she was working on, so she decided to use it on Ryu.  
  
She lunged forward, kicking Ryu in the abdomen. Then she executed her Hykaretsu Kyaku. Ryu was forced to block against his wife's machine gun-like kicks.  
  
She stopped, but only for a split second, since she was kicking him again, this time with her OTHER leg. Ryu was caught off guard as she repeatedly struck him in his chest. She then finished off with a vertical split kick that knocked Ryu flat on his back with a thud.  
  
"Ouch," he said as he assumed a sitting position. "What was that?"  
  
Chun Li couldn't help but to smile. "It's a new technique I call the Hoyokusen, or 'Phoenix's Fanning Wings.' So what do you think?"  
  
"I'm down, am I?" Ryu replied as he got back to his feet. "At least that 'Strongest Woman on Earth' thing was no fluke. You can still hit hard."   
  
Chun Li smiled and assumed her stance, while Ryu went back to his.  
  
Suddenly, Chun Li felt...hot. And dizzy. Her stance began to waver slightly.   
  
Ryu noticed this. "Chun, are you okay?"  
  
Chun Li shook her head. "I'm...I'm fine, Ryu," she managed to reply before she sank to the ground. Ryu was there, catching her in his arms. He checked her pulse. It was okay, but her skin was hot, as if she had a fever.  
  
Then Ryu felt her ki radiate from her form. It was...dark. And evil.  
  
His eyes widened at the instant recognition of the aura.  
  
It was the Dark Hadou...and Chun Li had it.  
***  
Ryu sighed at the memory. He tried to tell himself that it was something else, but it wasn't. Chun Li had the Evil Intent. Only three other people had the dark ki, his late grandfather/sensei Gouken, his demonic uncle Gouki Akuma (who Ryu had beaten silly in the Street Fighter Tournament), and himself.  
  
While travelling the world Ryu had pushed himself to his limits to try and expel the Dark Hadou, but to no avail. He didn't want to end up like Akuma, a demon. During his travels, he encountered the fortuneteller Rose, who known about his dillema. After reading her Tarot cards, she had told him that--much to his relief--that he would not end up like Akuma, but the Dark Hadou would remain. Rather than the evil ki owuld feed off of him, Ryu could control the Dark Hadou, to make it bend to his will.  
  
He then began to study the dark form of Shotkan Karate, making serious modifications to several of the moves, including the ultimate killing technique: the Instant Hell Murder. The serious modification that he had made was how to deliver the fifteen blows. Rather than hitting the 15 vital points that would surely kill an opponent, he did exactly the opposite. With the help of Gouken's notes on Dark Shotokan, Ryu modified the technique so that the move would incapacitete the opponent by hitting 15 of their pressure points, leaving them completely stunned, but alive.  
  
Right now, his focus was completely on his wife, who continued to sleep. 


	2. Outside Help

Chapter Two  
  
At Ryu's request, Chun Li had decided to take a short-term vacation from Interpol to rest and recover from her 'fall.' Right now, she was in the bed, dressed in a pair of pajamas, her long hair in her usual 'braided and bunned' style.  
  
She was still trying to figure out what had happened the night before. The last thing she remembered was sparring with Ryu in the dojo right before she passed out. She had assumed that it was just exhaustion, but the way that Ryu was acting made her suspect that he was hiding something from her.  
***  
-Somewhere on a train bound to Tokyo...-  
  
The mysterious fortuneteller that was Rose sat in her cab. Placed neatly in a stack, were her Tarot cards. She took one off the top and placed it on the table.  
  
'Hmm...so it begins,' she thought.  
  
Originally, she had come to Japan to relax. Now, she was making a detour in her trip, after checking her cards.  
  
'Seems that the Chinese woman has the Dark Hadou,' Rose thought.  
  
Rose had met Chun Li back in Hong Kong when she and Ryu had gotten married. She had known Ryu even longer. She had met him though his friend Ken Masters. Before the Second Street Fighter Tournament, Rose had tracked down Ryu and told him that he would face his greatest challenge yet. It was not with an opponent, but with himself.  
  
She was right. Ryu had triumphed over the Dark Hadou, and now, Chun Li was facing the same problem.  
  
And Ryu needed her help.  
***  
-Shotokan School/Hoshi Residence-  
  
Ryu was praticing in the dojo, his mind clouded with the fact that Chun Li had the Dark Hadou. At the moment, he was mauling a pratice dummy with his Dragon Punch.  
  
He doesn't notices Chun Li, stil clad in her pajamas and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, enter the dojo. She watches in silence as she proceeds to perform the Shin Shouryuken on the dummy, follwed by the ever-devestating Shankunetsu Hadouken.  
  
"Still praticing?" Chun Li asked.  
  
Ryu turned around. "I thought you were asleep. What are you doing out bed anyway?" He walked over to her. "You should be resting."  
  
Chun Li waved him off. "I'm okay, Ryu. You shouldn't worry about me so much."  
  
"It's my job." He removes his left fighting glove and shows her the gold wedding band on his finger. "If memory serves me right, I am your husband, and I have to look out for you, whether you like it or not."   
  
Chun Li fumed for a moment. "And what if I say no?"  
  
"You won't," Ryu replied. "You like me pampering you."  
  
"Hmm. You have a point."  
  
They walked out of the dojo. At the same time, Rose appeared at the top of the stairs, suitcase in hand.  
  
The couple stopped as they recognised the newcomer. Rose advanced on the pair and stopped withing arm's length. "It has been a while, Ryu," she said in flawless Japanese.  
  
"It has, Rose," Ryu replied.  
***  
Later on, Ryu and Rose were at the dining room table, sipping tea. Chun Li was back in the bed, this time asleep.  
  
"So what brings you to Japan?" Ryu asked.   
  
Rose sipped her tea. "I came to Japan to the hot springs in Hokkaido. I heard that they ar a good place for resting and recuperating."  
  
"That they are. I've been up there. You've come for something else."  
  
"You posess a sharp mind, Ryu," Rose complimented. "I've come here to help you with Chun Li."  
  
Ryu set his cup down. "So you know about the Dark Hadou."  
  
Rose nodded. "I see you managed to control your dark side. But it is a different matter with Chun Li. She has been through so much pain and suffering with her father's murder and the Shadowlaw investigation that she may actually embrace the Dark Hadou."  
  
"That will not happen," Ryu replied. "I will see to that."  
  
"For her sake, I am hoping for the same thing," Rose said.  
***  
In the bedroom, Chun Li was moaning softly as her head rocked from side to side. In her mind's eye, she was reliving some key moments that had deeply affected her life. Her father's murder...chasing down Bison's goons...training...the Second Street Fighter Tournament...her match with Ryu to decide who was going to face Bison...  
  
Then she was dreaming.  
  
She found herself in a bamboo field. It was nightime, but there was an air of evil about.   
  
"Where am I?" she muttered to herself.  
  
'We're inside your mind,' someone replied.  
  
Chun Li tuened to the source of the voice...  
  
...and found herself face-to-face with herself...only darker.   
  
Her dark half was in every espect her, with a few differences. Her skin tone was slightly darker, the chesogam battle dress was black, and her eyes held a malicious look in them.  
  
"Who...are you?" Chun Li whispered.  
  
'I'm you,' the twin replied. 'I am your anger, your rage, your hate, your pain. All of the emotions that you had locked away.'  
  
"Why have you come to me?"  
  
The twin smiled. 'To liberate you, Chun Li. You are weak.'  
  
That struck a nerve. "I am not weak!"  
  
'Whatever you say,' the twin replied, playing on Chun Li's weakness and emotions. 'You weren't strong enough to save your father.'  
  
"I...I was in Japan," Chun Li defended.  
  
The twin pointed an accusing finger at her other. 'That's no excuse! You should have been there to protect your father in his time of need. Then he would be alive today. You weren't strong enough to save him, and you're still not strong enough to defeat Ryu!'  
  
"What does Ryu have to do with this?!"  
  
'He is keeping you from reaching your true potential,' the twin replied in a motherly tone. 'You could have beaten him in the tournament, but he won because he knew of your weakness. He took your rightful vengeance away from you!'  
  
The twin knew that Chun Li was weakening from her verbal onslaught, so she continued. 'But no more. I can take the pain away, Chun Li, if you open yourself to me. Call upon the true nature of your power...and you will be unstoppable! Even your husband will not be able to stop you!'  
***  
Chun Li's eyes snapped open. Slowly she assumed a sitting position and got out of the bed. 


	3. The Dark Side of the Ki

Chapter Three  
  
Ryu was back in the dojo, going through one of the more complex katas that his late sensei had taught him. As he practiced, his mind was still troubled. Rose had wandered off deep into the grounds somewhere, leaving him alone.  
  
'How can I stop the Dark Hadou from destroying Chun Li?' he thought as he continued to practice.  
  
"Hello, anata."  
  
Ryu stopped his kata and turned around. Chun Li was standing in the open shoji doorway. Her long hair was down, falling around her face. Several buttons from her pajama top were unbuttoned, giving Ryu a glimpse of her bra-encased cleavage. Her eyes held a seductive, yet...disturbing gaze in them as she slid closed the shoji door and began to advance on Ryu.  
  
"Chun--" Ryu managed to get out before she pushed him to the wall and pressed her body against his. One hand was masaging his chest, while the other was on the side of his face. Without giving him a warning, she leaned inward and pressed her lips to his.  
  
"Ryu..." Chun Li began as she kissed his jawline. "There's something I want to ask you."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Why did you take away my vengeance?"  
  
Ryu thought that they went through this. Bison, knowing about his and Chun Li's past had pitted them against each other in a match to see who would face him in the final match. He was hoping that Chun Li would win, but in the end, Ryu had prevailed.  
  
"I didn't," Ryu replied.  
  
Chun Li looked up at him. "You did. The right to fight Bison was mine, not yours." Her voice had taken on a steely hardness. "You cheated me out of that right!"  
  
Ryu tried to move, but Chun Li pushed him against the wall. Hard.  
  
Then he saw her eyes. They were turning from brown to dark purple.  
  
"Oh, shit," he muttered.  
  
Chun Li had fallen under the influence of the Dark Hadou.  
  
"Now...husband," Evil Chun Li was saying. "I will take my vengeance on you!"   
  
She threw a punch at Ryu, who rolled out of the way, just as her fist smashed into the wall, where his head was at moments earlier. But she was already upon him, attacking in full force, Ryu was hard-pressed against her attacks. She then kicked at the side of his led, causing him to drop his guard. Then she punched him nuerous times in his chest, which was folowed by a drop kick that sent him through the shoji door and outside.  
  
Ryu landed hard on his side. He rose to his feet as Evil Chun Li made a beeline for him.  
***  
Rose was on the way back to the dojo when she heard the unmistakable sound of a fight taking place. Upon reaching the dojo, she saw that Ryu was having one hell of a time in defending himself against Chun Li's attacks.  
***  
Evil Chun Li struck him again, whis time knocking him against the wall.   
  
'I don't want to hurt her, but if this continues, then the person's that's gonna get hurt is me!' Ryu thought as he struggled to his feet.   
  
Evil Chun Li raised her hands above her head, summoning the combined ki of hers and that of the Dark Hadou. "Ahhhh..."  
  
Ryu had a pretty good idead of what was coming up next. Seeing that he had no choice, he summoned the power of his own Dark Hadou.  
  
Evil Chun Li thrusted her hands forward. "KIKOU SHOU!"  
  
A ball of purple energy surged forward towards Ryu. When the smoke cleared, there was a gaping hole in the wall.  
  
And Ryu was nowhere to be seen.  
  
'Where did he go?!' Evil Chun Li thought.  
  
"Temma Gou Zanku!"  
  
Her question was answered when she looked up, and saw Ryu sailing down at her, foot outstretched. He caught her in the chest, knocking her against a tree.  
  
Ryu landed on his feet. He assumed his fighting stance, not once taking his eyes off of his wife.  
  
Evil Chun Li had her hand on her chest from where he had hit her. "You bastard!" she cried out. "How could you hit me? I'm your wife!"  
  
"You're not her," Ryu replied. "Release my wife...now."   
  
Evil Chun Li leapt in the air, foot extended in a leaping kick....   
  
Ryu prepared to execute his Dragon Punch...  
  
"Soul...Spark!"  
  
A glowing orb of energy smashed into the small of Chun Li's back, sending the Chinese woman to the ground and rendering her unconscious. Rose stood behind Chun Li's unconscious body, her usual yellow scarf in her hand. "It's okay. She's knocked out."  
  
Ryu dropped his stance and rushed over to check on his wife. Aside from the bruise on the side of her head from when she landed, she was okay. He checked her ki, and saw that it was back to normal. Ignoring the pain in his side, he gently picked her up and carried her back to the house, Rose following him. 


	4. Problems

Chapter Four  
  
Pain.  
  
Chun Li groaned softly as she woke up. Her head was pounding and her chest hurt. She looked to her left, only to find that Ryu wasn't beside her.  
  
He was in the chair next to her, watching her. She asuumed a sitting position, and that was when she notices the worried expression on his face. "Ryu, what's wrong?" she asked.  
  
Ryu's expression was grim. "I know what is happening to you," he deadpans.  
  
Chun Li was starting to get worried. "So what the hell is wrong with me?"  
  
Ryu didn't beat around the bush. "Chun Li, you have the Dark Hadou."  
  
Chun Li looked at him as if he had said that Bison was alive. "What?!"  
  
"You have the same thing I have," Ryu replied.   
  
Needless to say, Chun Li was shocked. "How...how could I have the Dark Hadou?"  
  
Ryu was trying to figure out a way to break the news to her gently when she correctly guessed it. "It was you," she said bitterly. "You gave me the Dark Hadou."  
  
"Chun Li--"  
  
"You gave me the Dark Hadou," she repeated, anger evident in her eyes.  
  
Ryu tried to explain. "I didn't know until--"  
  
SMACK!  
  
An angry red handprint was on the side of Ryu's face from where Chun Li had slapped him.   
  
"GET OUT OF HERE!" she screamed. "JUST GO!"  
  
Ryu didn't even bother to argue. He simply rose to his feet and walked out of the bedroom, leaving Chun Li alone, who was crying in the bed.  
***  
Three days passed since that event. Ryu had confined himself to his dojo and study, while Chun Li stayed in the bed, her anger directed at her husband, while Rose tended to her. The fortuneteller knew that she shoudn't interfere, but she had to get through to Chun Li.  
  
After all, she was still pissed at Ryu.  
***  
"So how are you feeling?" Rose asked as she entered into the bedroom.  
  
Chun Li looked up from the book she was reading from her bed. Her eyes were still red from crying. "Okay, I guess."  
  
Rose pulled up a chair. "So how long you plan on not speaking to Ryu?"  
  
Chun Li's eyes narrowed. "Did he send you here?"  
  
Rose shook her head. "I came out of curiosity, not Ryu." When Chun Li didn't answer him, Rose continued. "You know, he's taking this hard, with you having the Dark Hadou and all. He's locked himself in the study. When he's not there, he's in the dojo."  
  
Chun Li kept her angry expression.  
  
"You also didn't give him much choice when you attacked him."  
  
Chun Li blinked. "When did I did that?"  
  
"You mean you don't remember?" Rose asked. When Chun Li shook her head, Rose told her of how she had attacked Ryu several nights before and of how he and Rose stopped her. To back up the story, Rose showed Chun Li the hole in the courtyard wall from when she had tried to blast Ryu with a Dark Hadou-powered Kikoushou.  
  
"You really shoud try and make up with him," Rose suggested. "He's the only person that can help you conquer the Dark Hadou."  
  
With that statement, Rose left Chun Li alone with her thoughts.  
***  
Inside the small torii shrine, Ryu, now dressed in his usual white karate gi, minus the headband, knelt in front of the altar, which contained a picture of his grandfather, several lit candles, and burning incense sticks.  
  
'Sensei,' Ryu thought. 'Grandfather...I don't know what to do. Chun Li has the Dark Hadou and I may lose her.'  
  
"Is that all you fear?" an elderly voice said from beside him.  
  
Ryu opened his eyes and looked in the direction of the voice. He found himself staring into the shimmering image of his grandfather, Gouken. The image them materialized, then the spirit of the deceased Shotokan grandmaster knelt beside the surprised Ryu.  
  
"You fear that you may lose your wife over the Dark Hadou, or is it something else?" Gouken asked.  
  
Ryu shook his head. "I...I don't know, Grandfather."  
  
Gouken managed a faint smile. "My poor grandson. You know well of the martial arts, but when it comes to the matters of the heart, you are still learning. You have learned to control your Dark Hadou extremely well, even better than Gouki Akuma."  
  
"I still have my humanity," Ryu replied.  
  
"That you have," Gouken replied. He looked at the altar. "Your wife needs you, grandson. She is stubborn, that is true, but you know her true character. You have to help her...just like you did by defeating her in the tournament."  
  
Ryu looked at Gouken in surprise.  
  
Gouken nodded. "Oh, yes. I know all about that. She still holds some animosity towards you from the tournwment, but she does a good job in not showing it. If you open your heart to her, then she will forgive you and in turn, open her heart to you." He placed his hand on Ryu's shoulder. "I have faith in you, grandson."  
  
"Thank you...Sensei," Ryu replied.  
***  
Ryu's eyes snapped open. He had been kneeling for who knows how long and his knees were starting to ache. He stood up, stretched, and walked out of the shrine.  
  
It was nighttime. The sky was clear, the moon was out, and stars littered the Japanese sky. He headed for his dojo, but instead, climbed up the tree and jumped onto the roof.  
  
He was surprised to see Chun Li there, as if she was waiting for him. 


	5. Ryu's Story

Chapter Five  
  
Chun Li was surprised when Ryu had showed up on the dojo's rooftop. She had been there, gazing at the night sky, absorbed in her thoughts when her husband had showed up. Now he was watching her closely, his body tensing up for a fight. When he saw that she didn't do anything, Ryu relaxed and sat down next to her. For a long moment, the Japanese martial artist and his Chinese wife said nothing. They just sat there, staring into the sky. Chun Li looked at Ryu. The handprint had long since vanished from where she had slapped him.  
  
"It's healed," Ryu replied, not looking at his wife. "A little tender, but it's healed. You still hit hard."  
  
Chun Li bit her lip. She didn't know where to start. "Ryu..."  
  
Ryu looked at her. "Hmm?"  
  
Chun Li bit her lip. "I'm sorry for overreacting."  
  
Ryu sighed. "I'm sorry too, for not telling you sooner about the Dark Hadou. I thought it was fatigue, until you attacked me."  
  
Chun Li nodded. "Rose told me about earlier." An uneasy silence passed between the two when Chun Li spoke again. "Ryu...why did you stop me from facing Bison in the Street Fighter Tournament?"  
  
Ryu looked at her with a little alarm. Before he could say anything, Chun Li continued. "No, it's me talking. I just want to know the real reason as to why you stopped me."  
  
Ryu relaxed and gathered his thoughts before speaking. "You now that it feels like when you take your revenge on the person that has killed your loved ones?" he asked. When Chun Li shook her head, Ryu contined. "It was about...six months before the tournament when I finally tracked down Gouki Akuma somewhere in Cambodia. I was like you--fueled by my thirst for revenge on the demon who had killed Gouken.   
  
"We were evenly matched, until I had managed to beat him down. I thought I had beaten him, but he tried to perform the Shungokuzatsu--the Instant Hell Murder--on me. In desperation, I executed my Dragon Punch, and caught him in the chin. The gathered energies that were meant for my own death killed Akuma. Before he died, he told me about my own Dark Hadou, and of how I would end up like him. I had beaten Akuma, but Gouken was not coming back.  
  
"I felt...empty. Hate had almost stopped me in how to feel. It almost destroyed me, Chun Li. I was consumed by my own anger and rage that I almost fell into the Dark Hadou, but I didn't. I wandered around the country for several days, until one night, I was meditating, and something Gouken told me came into my head. He asked me one day, 'Why do you fight?' Naturally, I said 'For the fight.' But that wasn't the answer. Something else came into my mind. Gouken had told me that Shotokan Karate was more than a fighting style. It was a way of life.  
  
"I've learned a lot from my travels. With those two statements, I resumed my training. I've learned that there is no ultimate fight. Learning how to control one's emotions and thoughts are instrumental in winning a match. When we were in the Street Fighter tournament together, I saw you wanting to face Bison for killing your father, and I saw myself and Akuma. I promised myself that even if it cost me my very life, that I would stop you from going down the same dark path that I had walked."  
  
"So...in turn, you were protecting me," Chun Li replied, Ryu's words hitting home.  
  
Ryu nodded. "I was also protecting you from yourself. I couldn't let either Bison destroy you or you destroy yourself. That is why I had defeated you in the tournament." He looked forward. "I finally understand what Gouken was asking me about why I fight."  
  
"And that is?" Chun Li asked.  
  
"I fight for several reasons," Ryu replied. "I fight to survive, to rise to the challenge, to protect my friends..." He looked at Chun Li. "...and to protect the woman I love."  
  
Tears were starting to gather in Chun Li's eyes as she embraced Ryu, crying into his chest, her shoulders racked with sobs. Ryu just held her close as she cried.  
  
"I...I just wish that all of this is just a dream...that we would wake up and Dad and Gouken would be alive again...before Shadowlaw and the Street Fighter Tournament," she sobbed.  
  
Ryu sighed. "I know, Chun. I know."  
***  
Later on, Ryu walked Chun Li to their bedroom. When Ryu turned towards the study, Chun Li grabbed his wrist, stopping him. "Please, Ryu. Stay with me. I don't want to be alone."  
  
Later on, as they laid in bed (fully clothed), Chun Li turned to Ryu. "Ryu?"  
  
Ryu, who was almost asleep, opened his eyes. "Yes?"  
  
Chun Li turned to him. "What will you do about me and the Dark Hadou?"  
  
"There's one way that you can conquer and control your dark ki," Ryu explained. "You have to face your dark side."  
  
Chun Li blinked. "How?"  
  
"You have to go within your subconscious and face your fear, hate, and anger. There is a way, but it is dangerous."  
  
Chun Li sat up in the bed. "Tell me." 


	6. Face Your Worst Fear

Chapter Six: Face Your Worst Fear  
  
Midnight. Ryu, Chun Li and Rose are all in the dojo, all three dressed in their respective outfits. A small circle of candles were placed and lit in a circle on the dojo floor, with Chun Li and Ryu standing in the circle.  
  
"You know, I won't be there with you when you go," Ryu said.  
  
Chun Li nodded. "I know. This is something that I have to do alone."   
  
Ryu looked at her for a moment. Then he undid the knot in his red headband and pulled it from his head. He reached around and tied her hair with it. "For luck," he said.  
  
The two then shared a passionate kiss, and Ryu stepped out of the circle. Chun Li then laid back as Rose held out a tarot card in front of her. The card then changed to dust and the fortuneteller blew it across the Chinese agent's face.  
  
Before long, Chun Li had lost consciouness.  
  
"Now what?" Ryu asked.  
  
"We wait...and hope," Rose replied.  
***  
Chun Li opened her eyes, and found herself alone in the Shotokan Dojo. She looked around for Ryu and Rose, but to no avail. She got to her feet and stepped out of the dojo. It was nighttime, but there was evil in the air. As she stepped out of the dojo and into the courtyard, she heard her twin's voice.  
  
'So you finally come, Chun Li.'  
  
Chun Li found her dark alter ego standing on the dojo's roof, looking down. She was dressed in a darker version of her battle dress, her hair falling down her shoulders.  
  
Dark Chun Li gracefully leapt down from her perch and landed in front of the real Chun Li. 'You came for me, haven't you? You came to me to fully embrace the Dark Hadou.'  
  
"NO!" Chun Li yelled. "I've come to stop it!"  
  
'You are foolish,' Dark Chun Li replied. 'Can't you see? We are the same!'  
  
Chun Li shook her head. "I'm nothing like you. Once I was, but no more."  
  
'Ryu has made you weak!' Dark Chun Li replied. 'He took away your vengeance! Can you see?'  
  
Chun Li faced her evil twin. "He only did it to protect me from destroying myself...and becoming you."  
  
Dark Chun Li was glowing with rage. 'If you won't join me...then it is YOU who will be destroyed!'  
  
The two Chun Lis went into their battle stances. Then they both attacked.  
  
Dark Chun Li attacked with a combination of attacks, those that Chun Li had parried and blocked. Fighting in martial arts tournaments was one thing, but fighting your own self that has your strengths and weaknesses was challenging, and at the same time, frustrating.  
  
Dark Chun Li ran and dropkicked her counterpart in the chest with the force similar to the sumo Edmond Honda's Sumo Headbutt. Chun Li was sent flying and crashed against the dojo wall. Staggering to her feet, she saw Dark Chun Li charging in to finish her off.  
  
Chun Li sidestepped Dark Chun Li's spinning kick and slammed her elbow into the small of the other woman's back. While Dark Chun Li was staggering, she heard the words, "Spinning Bird Kick!" and spun around, just in time to see Chun Li in a handstand, spinning, legs outstretched, smacking her in the face numerous times. When Chun Li stood back up, she landed a right cross, follwed by a spinning kick to the face.  
  
Dark Chun Li staggered onto one knee. 'Good,' she said, wiping the blood from the corner of her lip. 'Here's where things get intresting.'  
  
Chun Li was forced back by her own move--the Hykaretsukyaku. The Interpol agent was hard pressed to block the machine gun-like attacks. Repeated kicks wore down her defense, then Dark Chun Li planted a boot to her counterpart's abdomen, causing the real Chun Li to double over in pain. The boot was followed with a hard elbow to the back, slamming her down. Dark Chun Li kicked her counterpart again, this time launching her across the dojo courtyard and into the wall.  
  
Dark Chun Li simply laughed softly as she casually walked over to herself, preparing to finish her off. 'You are pathteic,' she sneered. 'The Strongest Woman on Earth is at my mercy. Prepare to meet your fate.'  
  
Chun Li was on her hands and knees, gasping for breath. Then something caught her eye. One end of Ryu's headband was over her shoulder. Almost immediately, she remembered something that he had said to her during one of their sparring sessions.  
  
"With strength comes power. With power comes wisdom. With wisdom comes mercy."   
  
Dark Chun Li was upon her. She raised her leg in a vertial split, preparing to finish the real Chun Li off.  
  
Chun Li's eyes flashed with a new sense of power.  
  
Dark Chun Li brought her leg down...  
  
...and Chun Li snapped her arm up and blocked it. With her other hand, she slammed her fist into her side, staggering her dark half back. Chun Li began to fight back, fists and feet flying into her dark counterpart. A side kick to the side...several blows to the gut...spinning roundhouse kick to the face...  
  
She then executed the Hoyokusen, the last blow punting Dark Chun Li into the air, just enough time for Chun Li.  
  
"KIKOU...SHOU!!!"  
  
Chun Li blasted Dark Chun Li with a high powered Kikou Shou, sending her dark half crashing into the side of the dojo.  
  
Chun Li held her pose for a moment, breathing hard. Then she lowered her hands and slowly walked towards her fallen opponent, who was staggering to her feet, but had fallen down to one knee from the effort.  
  
Chun Li realized that her dark half looked EXACTLY the way she looked after Ryu had defeated her in the final match before Bison. Her dress was slightly ripped from absorning the force of the Kikou Shou, as well as her pantyhose. The spiked bracelets were shattered, pieces of the black stone were littered around her body.  
  
It was over. Chun Li had won. She lowered her fists.  
  
'NO!' Dark Chun Li screamed. 'The fight is not over yet!'  
  
She tried to rise to her feet once again, but fell to her knees. Dark Chun Li looked the victor. 'You have beaten me, Chun Li,' she said. 'Now finish it.'  
  
Chun Li shook her head. "No. I would be only destroying myself. You are a part of me."  
  
Dark Chun Li looked at regular Chun Li for a moment. Then she nodded her head. 'I see. You finally understand.'  
  
Chun Li then saw white.  
***  
Back in the real world, Chun Li gasped and sat up, causing Ryu and Rose to be slightly startled at her action. Then Chun Li emitted a soft moan and fell back, losing consciousness yet again.  
  
Ryu was at her side. He quickly checked a pulse and found one. "She's still alive," he said, breathing a sigh of relief. Gently picking up her prone form, he carried her out of the dojo and back to the house.  
***  
Ryu watched as Rose scanned Chun Li with a tense look in her eyes. After a moment, Rose stopped and looked up. "You should be proud, Ryu," she said. "Chun Li has conquered her Dark Hadou. She has a strong spirit."  
  
"She gets it from me," Ryu replied. "So what happens now?"  
  
"That is up to and Chun Li to decide," the fortuneteller replied. "Just let her rest. She will be okay."  
***  
-Two days later...-  
  
Moaning softly, Chun Li's eyes fluttered open. She found herself dressed in a pair of her pajamas, her hair splayed all over the pillow. Ryu was in a chair, arms folded across his chest, looking out the window.  
  
'He's been watching me all night?' Chun Li wondered. 'How sweet of him.'  
  
Ryu looked at her and saw that she was awake. "Hey," he said, grasping her smaller hand into his larger one. "You feel okay?"  
  
Chun Li nodded. "Yeah. How long was I out?"  
  
"Two days. You really had me worried there."  
  
The Chinese agent sat up in the bed. "I was a bit worried myself when I was fighing my dark half. But you were there with me."  
  
Ryu sat on the edge of the bed. "You know, the same thing happened to me when I was trying to overcome my own Dark Hadou. It nearly killed me, but I made it out."  
  
"So what's it like, having this...this power inside you?"  
  
Ryu took a moment to think. "You know its there, but you can't feel it. It's a part of you, your emotions. I've learned to control it and I can show you how to control it as well."  
  
"So you're gonna teach me?"  
  
Ryu smiled. "If you're as bad as a student as I am a teacher, then we're quite the pair."  
  
Chun Li slugged him lightly in the shoulder. "Jerk." her features then soften as she caressed the side of her husband's face. "I love you."  
  
"I love you too." Ryu bent down and kissed Chun Li's forehead. "Rest now. You deserved it." 


	7. Conqueror

Chapter Seven  
  
Over the next month, Ryu had trained Chun Li in controlling her Dark Hadou. Chun Li had picked up the training regime rather quickly and as a result Ryu had taught her several techniques from Shotokan, such as the Shakunetsu technique and some of the moves from Shin Shotokan Karate (with the exception of the Instant Hell Murder, of course.)  
  
One morning, Chun Li was pracicing by herself in the dojo, dressed in her one-piece tracksuit (minus the vest and shoes), her long hair falling down her shoulders. She was so into her pratice she failed to notice that Ryu had entered the dojo, dressed in his usual karate gi and red headband.  
  
"You're up early," he said. "I thought you'd sleep in."  
  
Chun Li stopped and turned around. "Couldn't sleep. Thought I come here to pratice."  
  
"That's a first," her husband teased.  
  
Chun Li snapped a kick to the side of Ryu head. Missed. She then threw a punch. Ryu simply caught her wrist and flipped her. The agent simply flipped out of the throw andstood there, hands raised in a defensive stance.  
  
Ryu was looking at her strangely. "Chun, what's with your hair?"  
  
Chun Li's defenses lowered as she immediately knew what he was talking about. There were several crimson streaks in the long brown tresses. She tugged at one of the red strands. "I guess they started to show up shortly after you started to train me in the Dark Hadou." She shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, I kinda like it."  
  
"It's really you," Ryu replied. "The streaks match your temper."  
  
Chun Li feigned mock anger. "They do not!"  
  
Ryu made a face at her. "Do too."  
  
"Why you..."  
  
Chun Li lunged at her husband, tackling him to the floor. Poised above him, she began hitting him lightly on his chest, until Ryu turned the tables and flipped her over and began to mercilessly tickle Chun Li, who was prone to such 'attacks.'  
  
"Hee hee! HA HA HA HA! Stop! Ryu, stop that! WAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Okay! Okay! Uncle! Uncle! GAAHHHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"  
  
Ryu finally conceded and stopped his torture on Chun Li. After he got off of her, she sat up and slugged him in the arm.  
  
"You jerk," Chun Li sniped.  
  
Ryu merely grinned. "You knew that when you married me. So what do you want to do?"  
  
"Well," Chun Li replied. "I kinda owe you for our last match."  
  
Ryu looked at her. "Are you challenging me, Miss Hoshi?"  
  
Chun Li nodded.  
  
Ryu jumped to his feet. "In that case, you're on! Loser shall we say...pay for lunch."   
  
"Agreed."  
  
The pair squared off in the dojo. At the same time, they attacked. Deep down, Ryu knew that as he parried several of Chun Li's attacks, things between them would be all right. 


End file.
